Internal-combustion engine.



H. L. MEEDER. V INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPucAHoN man sEPr.14.1915.

1 ,206.01 ntonted Nov. 2S, 19H5.

3 sHUs SHEET l.

H. L. MEEDER.

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

A PPLICAToN FILED sEPT.`14,1'915.

1,206,01 6. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. L. MEEDER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTiON ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT'. t4. 1915.

1,206,016. Patented 1\10v.28,1916.y

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT L. MEEDER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOALLISON STOCKER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT L, MEEDER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveA invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion or explosive engines, my .object being to provide a construction of this character which shall be exceedingly efficient in operation and comparatively economical in cost.

In my improvement I employ a compression chamber arranged to be placed at properly timed intervals in communication with an explosion chamber in which the power is produced for operating the crank shaft of the engine 'for power purposes.

In the drawing I have illustrated an engine having two explosion chambers and two compression chambers, the compression chambers being arranged in suitable operative relation with the respective explosion chambers. Between each explosion chamber and its companion compression chamber, is located a valve which controls the passage of explosive mixture from the manifold or conduit located between the carbureter and the engine proper,` to the compression chamber while communication is cut off between the compression chamber and the explosion chamber. Again after the charge of explosive mixture is drawn into the compression chamber, this valve is actuated to open communication between the compression chamber and the explosion chamber and this `occurs during the downward or inward moveton serves to compress the explosive mixture until the piston of the explosion chamber reaches its outward limit of movement. At this time the explosion occurs and the operation heretofore outlined is repeated. lVhere two explosion chambers and their companion compression chambers are employed, the explosion chamber pistons are connected withl the crank shaft in opposing relation in order to produce a .balancing result, the two explosion chambers and their cooperating compression chambers performing their corresponding functions alternately. As illustrated in the drawing each throttle valve is controlled by a cam and an opposing spring.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction I will proceed to describe the same `of the construction shown in Fig. 1. In this figure the right hand portion of Fig. l is illustrated but the pistons and valve are shown in different relative positions. Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic view which maybe advantageously employed in describing the operation of the mechanism.

The same reference characters indicate `the same parts in all the views.'

Let the numeral 5 case of my improved engine ;l 6 the explosion cylinders: S and 9 the compression cylinders designate the crankv and 10 and 12 the chambers which tlie throtgine whereby the explosive mixture, during the operation of the engine is supplied through the medium of these valves. Each valve is provided near. its upper extremity with a second port 28 which at properly timed intervals is brought into communication with a port 29 which connects each valve chamber with the chamber of the adjacent compression cylinder. Furthermore the upper extremity of each valve chamber is connected by means of a port 30 with the corresponding extremity of the adjacent explosion chamber. Each throttle valve is provided at its upper extremity with a reduceduneck 31 which is surrounded' by a split ring 32 which is held in place by meansof a pin 4 which passes through registering openings formed vin the 'ring and the neck of the valve. This ring constitutes a packing for the upper extremity of the valve, being the part thereof which controls the adjacent ports. The valve is closed at the top by a cap 33 which is held in place by a screw 34l or other suitable fastening means.

Each valve 13 and 14 is connected as shown at 35 with a rod 3G which passes through a stationary guide 37, its extremity remote from the valve being equipped with an anti-frictional device as a roller 38 which engages the outer edge or peripheral face of a cam 39 which is fast on the crank shaft and so shaped, in coperation with a spring 40, as to properly manipulate the throttle valve as heretofore outlined. This spring 40 surrounds the rod 3 6, one extremity of the spring bearing against the bottom 41 of the valve casing, w-hile its opposite extremity engages a stop 12 adjustably mounted on the rod which is threaded as shown at 43 for the purpose, the stop constituting a nut and fashioned as shown at 44 in Iorder that a wrench may be utilized for its adjustment.,

Each explosion cylinder is provided with a spark plug 45 connected in the usual manner with a source of electricity ,(not shown) by means of conductors inclsed in a cable 46.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved engine will be readily understood.

If it be assumed vthat the parts of the mechanism are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, the piston 21 of the compression cylinder 9, is moving downwardly and drawing in a charge of gas or explosive mixture from the manifold by way of the port 26 of the valve and a similar port 56 formed in the valve chamber and in communication with the conduit 27 or discharge extremitv of the manifold. This explosive mixture will continue to enter the compression cylinder 9, ufitil the piston 21 of the latter has reached its downward limit of movement, and until after it has commenced the return or outward stroke. During this operation of drawing' explosive mixture into the compression cylinder, the roller extremity of the rod or valve stem 36, is in engagement with the face of the cam 39, between the points 50 and 51, being the upper portion of the cam when in the position shown in Fig. 2. During this operation of the piston 21, the piston 16 of the companion explosion cylinder 6, is moving downwardly or in the direction of the arrow a., in response to an explosion which has occurred in the outer extremity of this cylinder. Hence the piston 21 during theoperation of drawing explosive mixture into its cylinder 9, travels a portion of the time in the same direction as the piston 16 of the companion explosion cylinder. The piston 21 however travels in advance of the piston` 16, about degrees. Shortly after the piston 21 begins its return stroke and' before the piston 16 has completed its inward or explosion stroke, the throttle valve 14 will be moved to the position of the valve 13 in Fig. 5, whereby communication will be established between the outer extremity of the cylinder 9 and the corresponding extremity of the companion explosion cylinder 6, whereby the explosive mixture will be forced from the compression cylinder into the outer extremity of the explosion cylinder. This explosive mixture scavenges the explosion chamber of the burnt gases or products of combustion resulting from the last explosion, these products of combustion being driven inward y in the explosion chamber and forced out of the exhaust port 25, this port being uncovered by the piston 16 just long enough to allow the burned gases to pam out, after which it is again covered by the return movement of the piston 16 which compresses the explosive mixture in the upper or outer part of the explosion chamber, the valve 14 being moved to the position of the valve 13 in the right of Fig. 1, after the charge of explosive mixture has been delivered to the explosion cylinder through the medium of the piston 21 of the compression cylinder 9. The final compression then takes place within the explosion chamber due to the completion of the outward stroke of the piston 16. The explosion then takes place and the operation heretofore described is repeated. That is to say the valve 14 is moved by the cam 39 to its outward limit of movement or that shown at the left of -Fig. 1, whereby communication is cut ofi' between the compression cylinder and explosive cylinder and communication opened between the compression cylinder and the manifold for the reception of another charge of explosive mixture.

ln the description heretofore given of the operation, special reference has been made to the operation of the left hand half of the construction shown in Fig. 1. It may be stated that the operation of the construction of thev right hand half is substantially identical, the corresponding steps of the operation of the two units of the structure, taking place alternately as heretofore indicated. The operation of the structure may perhaps be best understood byv reference to Fig. 6 in which the operation is diagrammed. The pointers 60 and 6,1 which rotate from a center 62, may be said to represent the pistons 16 and 21 of the explosion and compression cylinders respectively. Hence as the pointer 60 moves from the point A to the point C in the direction ofthe arrow c, the piston 15 of the explosion cylinder 6, moves from its outward to its inward limit of movement, and commences the return stroke, the movement from the point D to the point C indicating the return or outward movement until-the exhaust port 24 is covered: and the exhaust of the burnt gases completed. Then as the pointer 60 movesv from the point C to the point A, the piston 16 (see Fig. 5) completes its outward or compression stroke, immediately after which the explosion takes place and the operation of the piston just described is completed.`

The space between the two pointers 60 and 61 may be considered the distance which the piston 21 is ahead of the piston 16 during the Operation of the engine. While the pointer 61 moves from the point A to the` point E, the piston 21 has commenced its inward or downward stroke and during this portionv of the movement of said piston the port 29 renains closed and a partial vacuum is formed in the outer extremity of the compression cylinder. The port 30 is then opened and the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder 13, during the time that the pointer 61 is traveling to the point C. During this time the piston 21 has commenced its return stroke and the distance of the return travel is represented by the distance between the points D and C. It is estimated that there will still be a suiiicient vacuum condition in the compression cylinder to cause the continued How of explosive mixture from the manifold into the compression cylinder, until the piston 21 has made the part of its return stroke indicated by the distance from the point D tothe point lC. Then the corresponding throttle valve will remain in the position shown at the right of Fig. 1 or whereby communication is cut ofi between the compression and explosion cylinders, during the time that the compression piston 21 is traveling the portion of its stroke indicated by the distance between the points C and F, and during this time the explosive mixture within the compression cylinder will be compressed. The throttle valve 13 will then move to the position shown in Fig. 5 whereby communication between the compression and explosion cylinders is opened, and the passage of explosive mixture from the compression to the explosion cylinder takes place during the balance of the outward stroke of the piston 21, or during the portion of the stroke Each explosion chamber is provided4 with a number of pins arranged in front of the port 30 leading from the valve lchamber to the explosion chamber, whose function is the breaking' up of the explosive mixture as it enters the explosion chamber from the compression chamber by way of the valve chamber (see Fig. 5).

The upper extremity of each valve chamber 10 and 12 is provided with a port from which a passage 52 leads to the -upper extremity of the adjacent compression chamber, in order to allow any gas or explosive mixture to escape from the top of the valve chamber` which may be tra ped therein after the upper extremity o the throttle valve 13 or 14: as the case may be, has passed the port 29 or 30 in its upward travel.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim is,-

1. An internal combustion engine comprising an explosion cylinder, a compression cylinder, pistons therein, and a hollow valve mounted to reciprocate, the chamber in which the val-ve moves being in communication with the chambers of both cylinders by suitable ports, the said valve having but two ports one of which establishes communication between the hollow of the valve and the manifold of the engine while the other port is adapted to register with the port forming communication between the chamber of the compression cylinder and the chamber in which the valve moves.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising an explosion cylinder, a compression ,-cylinder, pistons therein, a valve chamber,

a hollow valve mounted to reciprocate therein, the valve chamber being in communication with the chambers of both cylinders by way of suitable ports, the said valve havingv der chambers from communication with the exterior valve chamber.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising an explosion cylinder, a compression cylinder, pistons therein, a valve having an interior chamber, an exterior chamber in which the valve is mounted to reciprocate, the exterior chamber being in communication with the chambers of both cylinders by suitable ports, the said valve having but two ports one of which establishes communication between the hollow of the valve and the manifold of the engine while the other port is adapted to register with the port forming communication between the compression Cylinder chamber and the exterior valve chamber, and means for actuating the valve to place its interior chamber in communication with the compression cylinder chamber; its exterior chamber in communication with the chambers of both cylinders; and to cut off the compression chamber from communication with the interior chamber of the valve; the three aforesaid conditions occurring successively and the series of conditions being repeated constantly during the operation of the engine.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a manifold in communication with a source of explosive mixture, of an explosion cylinder, a 'compression cylinder and an interposed valve chamber having three ports forming communication respectively with the manifold, the explosion cylinder chamber and the compression cylinder chamber, and a hollow valve movable in said valve chamber, and having two ports only by way of which the hollow of the valve is constantly in communication with the manifold and alternately in communication with the compression cylinder chamber.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a manifold in communication with a source of explosive mixture, of an explosion cylinder, a compression cylinder and any interposed valve chamber having three ports forming communication respectively with the manifold, the explosion cylinder chamber and the compression cylinder chamber; and a hollow valve movable in said valve chamber and having two ports only adapted to register with the ports of the valve chamber which communicate respectively1 with the manifold and the compression cylinder chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a manifold in communication with a source of explosive mixture,

of an explosion cylinder, a compression cylinder and an interposed valve chamber haV-' ing three ports forming communication respectively with the manifold, the explosion cylinder chamber and the compression cylinder chamber, and a hollow valve movable in said valve chamber, and whose interior chamber is adapted to be in communication with the manifold and the compression cyl-v inder chamber, but is always cut oif from the chamber of the explosion cylinder.

7 In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a manifold in communication with a source of explosive mixture, of an explosion cylinder, a compression cylinder and an interposed valve chamber having three ports forming communication respectively with they manifold, the explosion cylinder chamber and the compression cylinder chamber, and a hollow ycylindrical valve movable in said valve chamber and whose interior chamber is constantly in com` munication with the manifold, alternately in communication with the compression cylinder chamber, and never in communication with the chamber of the explosion cylinder.

S. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a manifold in communication with a source of expilosive mixture, of an explosion cylinder, a. compression cylinder and an interposed valve chamber having three ports forming communication respectively with the manifold, the explosion cylinder chamber and the compression cylinder chamber, the said ports which communicate with the chambers of the two cylinders being arranged substantially in the same plane, and a hollow valve movable in said valve chamber and whose interior chamber is adapted to be in communication with the manifold and the compression cylinder chamber but is always cut off from the chamber of the explosion cylinder, the movement of the valve being such as to control the passage of explosive mixture through the valve chamber from' the chamber of the compression cylinder to the chamber of the explosion cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT L. MEEDER. 

